Hpa-an (Karen ဖးအါ၀့ၢ်ဖိ; Burmese ဘားအံမြို့) is a city (population 421,575 as of 2014) in Kayin State in Southeastern Myanmar.
. . . Hpa-an . . .
Hpa-an is the capital of Kayin State. It is surprisingly underdeveloped given its relative proximity to Mawlamyine and Yangon but this can be explained by the fact that the area has been in conflict with the Government for many years and has only recently become relatively peaceful. With the expected completion of the Greater Mekong Subregion East-West Corridor at the end of 2015, when improvements to the road between Mae Sot in Thailand and Mawlamyine are due to be finalised, Hpa-an will have great prospects to export to Thailand, and the town and surrounding region are likely to boom.
There is no train connection to Hpa-an, only road travel goes into the city.
- Mawlamyine– Bus (no air-con) is about 2 hr, 1,200 kyat. There is also a boat available from Mawlamyine to Hpa-an for 70,000 kyat (private charter) or 10,000 kyat per person (shared) leaving from 1 Hpa-an Jetty at 8am and taking about 3 h.
- Myawaddy– The bus is about 5,000 kyat and takes 3-5 hr. There are also many shared taxis running between Hpa-an and Myawaddy for 10,000 kyat per person which take around 4 hr.
- Kyaiktiyo (Golden Rock) – Bus with air-con is about 2.5-3 hr to Kyaikto, 5-7,000 kyat. Every 30 min from about 6-10AM, then at least every hour for the rest of the day. A slower direct “government” bus leaves at 7:30AM, but it’s probably more comfortable to change in Kyaikto.
- Buses also come in from Yangon (Aung Mingalar Highway Station, 6 hr, about 5,000 kyat, every 30-60 min) and Bago.
- Buses from Bagan, Naypyidaw and Mandalay, tend to go directly to Mawlamyine through 1 Thaton. Nevertheless, from the 1 Golden Pagoda in Thaton it is easy to catch a pickup (1,500 kyat) or bus (2,000 kyat) to Hpa-an. Also, 1 trains stop in Thaton, but not Hpa-an.
The 1 Clock Tower is the main transport hub for travelers. Shared taxis and buses leave and stop here. The area is spotted with numerous ticket sellers.
There is also the official 1 Sat Pyit Kwin Bus Terminal, just in case you do not get dropped off at the clock tower or are keen to get your bus ticket first-hand.
. . . Hpa-an . . .